Bendakaya Pulusu Andhra Style, Okra in tamarind gravy

Bendakaya Pulusu or Okra in tamarind gravy is one of the Andhra recipe made with tamarind pulp and jaggery. Usually, many Andhra recipes having a tail name ‘Pulusu’ use tamarind pulp to make gravy or stew.

Bendakaya Pulusu

People who don’t like to have gravy with tamarind pulp may be substituted with tomatoes but in our recipe, we are already adding tomatoes but in less quantity. That is the reason we are adding jaggery to nullify sourness and increase its flavour.

People who like to have with rice can make Okra in tamarind gravy style and who like to have with chapatti or roti then I prefer Bendakaya fry.

You may also like to check other recipes:

Aratikaya Masala Pulusu,

Tomato Pulusu,

Chamagadda Pulusu,

Gongura Pulusu and

Pappu Pulusu.

Okra in tamarind gravy


Bendakaya Pulusu Andhra Style, Okra in Tamarind Gravy

Bendakayapulusu or okra in tamarind gravy is one of the Andhra recipe made with tamarind
pulp and jaggery.

Course Main Course
Cuisine South Indian
Keyword Bendakaya pulusu Andhra Style
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Author Uppada Lakshmi

Ingredients

  • 250 gms. Okra/ Bendakaya
  • 4 tbsp. Oil
  • ¼ tbsp. Mustard seeds
  • ¼ tbsp. Cumin seeds
  • 100 gms. Tamarind
  • Water – required quantity
  • 1 cup Onions
  • 5-6 No. Green chillies sliced diagonally
  • ¼ tbsp. Fenugreek seeds
  • 4 No. Dry red chillies
  • 4 tbsp. Curry leaves
  • ½ cup Tomatoes
  • ½ tbsp. Turmeric powder
  • tbsp. Salt
  • 15-20 No. Garlic cloves
  • 3 tbsp. Jaggery

Instructions

  1. Clean and dry okra on a clean cloth, slice them into 1-inch size and keep aside.
  2. Heat oil and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
  3. Soak tamarind, remove pulp and keep aside.
  4. Add sliced onions, fenugreek seeds, green chillies and dry red chillies.
  5. Continue adding curry leaves and sliced tomatoes.
  6. Tip: Based on your taste you adjust sourness by adding less or more quantity of tomatoes.
  7. Sprinkle turmeric powder and cook till tomatoes turn soft.
  8. Add okra, sprinkle salt and fry garlic cloves.
  9. Cover with lid and cook for a minute. If needed add little water to get gravy.
  10. Cook further till okra turns soft.
  11. When the recipe is almost done add jaggery and mix well.
  12. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve Bendakaya pulusu hot.

How to make Bendakaya Pulusu Recipe:

  • Clean okra with water and dry them on a clean cloth.
  • Slice them into small pieces and keep aside.
  • In a kadai, heat oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds sauté for a while.

Bendakaya Pulusu: Roast spices

  • Meanwhile, take a small lump of tamarind and soak for 10 minutes.

Bendakaya Pulusu: Making tamarind pulp

  • Add sliced onions, green chillies, fenugreek seeds and dry red chillies.

Bendakaya Pulusu: Add onions, green chilli, fenugreek seeds and dry red chilli

Note: We can adjust the spiciness by adding more or less dry red chillies.

  • Add curry leaves and sliced tomatoes and mix well.

Bendakaya Pulusu: Add curry leaves and tomatoes

Tip: If you want you can lower the number of curry leaves, I have used 4 tbsp. to increase flavour and aroma.

  • Sprinkle turmeric powder and mix well, cover with a lid and cook till tomatoes turn soft.

Bendakaya Pulusu: Sprinkle turmeric powder

  • Meanwhile, extract pulp from soaked tamarind and keep aside.
  • Drop sliced okra and mix well.

Add okra slices

  • Sprinkle salt and make a room to fry garlic cloves.

sprinkle salt

  • Cover with the lid and cook for 2 minutes till okra turn soft.

cook with lid covered

  • Remove the lid add tamarind pulp and cook further for a minute with lid covered.

Okra in tamarind gravy: Add tamarind pulp

  • If needed add little water to get gravy and cook further for a minute.

Okra in tamarind gravy: Add required water

Tip: While cooking if you check small piece then you will know whether it is cooked or not.

  • Add little jaggery at the end of the recipe.

Add Jaggery

  • Garnish Bendakaya Pulusu or Okra in tamarind gravy with coriander leaves and serve hot.

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